During Manchester City’s 2-0 defeat against Liverpool, Pep Guardiola gestured towards the home fans at Anfield that he had won six Premier League titles after hearing loud jeers from them.
Guardiola’s reaction to the Liverpool supporters stemmed from them chanting, “You’re getting sacked in the morning!” to mock the legendary manager.
Famously, Jose Mourinho reminded the world that he had won three Premier League titles as well during his time at Manchester United when his former side lost 3-0 against Tottenham Hotspur in 2018.
Mourinho said via Sky Sports Retro: “Do you know what was the result? 3-0. Do you know what this [raising three fingers to indicate his title triumphs in England] means? 3-0 but also means, three Premierships and I won more Premierships alone than the other 19 managers together!”
“Three for me and two for them. Respect! Respect! Respect man, respect!”
Ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming contest against Nottingham Forest, Pep Guardiola was told that his reaction was compared to that of Jose Mourinho’s before he was eventually sacked by Manchester United.
Guardiola replied via BeanymanSports: “I hope not in my case. At the end, maybe we are quite similar, like Jose [Mourinho].
However, the Manchester City boss could not resist having a dig at his former rival Jose Mourinho, saying: “But he won three, I won six.”
- READ MORE: Jose Mourinho shares if his Tottenham side would’ve beaten Man City in the Carabao Cup final in 2021
Rival fans angry at Pep Guardiola jibe at Jose Mourinho
Pep Guardiola continued: “But it is the same, we are together in that situation. So, it’s just to make our fans feel that we are much, much better than what the people can think about so what we have done is extraordinary.”
“It is exceptional for many, many reasons, I want to prove that we are an incredible football. Apparently, it doesn’t look like it. Sooner or later, it’s going to be the end but I will try to extend as much as possible for the best of my club.”
Rival fans online did not appreciate Guardiola’s comments about Mourinho and were quick to hail the Portuguese manager while slating the two-time treble-winner.
A Real Madrid fan commented: “Jose Mourinho has never lost five consecutive league games neither does he have 115 charges.”
A Manchester United fan wrote: “But he did it everywhere with the underdog, you did it with the strongest team. You can never pull off a Porto, Roma.”
A Chelsea supporter claimed: “Well, Mourinho didn’t have a £1 billion war chest and 115 charges. His three titles are bigger than your six fraudulent titles.”
Even a Barcelona fan wrote: “Achieve them without corruption.”
Mourinho’s Guardiola and Manchester City dig
However, in October, Jose Mourinho’s dig at Manchester City and Pep Guardiola involved him mentioning the club’s 115 financial charges.
Mourinho joked that he could be handed another Premier League winner’s medal for finishing second with Manchester United behind City in the 2017/2018 season if the club are found guilty of financial wrongdoing.
The Fenerbahce boss said: “That was a difference in relation to me, we won the Europa League and finished second in the Premier League.”
“I think we still have a chance to win that league, maybe they punish Manchester City with points, we win that league. They have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal.”
It seems like there still seems to be bad blood between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho from their respective spells at Barcelona and Real Madrid where they were the fiercest of rivals.
With both managers having worldwide fanbases, it is natural that they are quick to defend the tactician they prefer over the other.
